1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an axial piston machine of swash-plate type construction having a cylinder block that is rotatable in a housing and is supported in the axial direction against a valve plate arranged on a housing component, a driving shaft coupled in a rotationally synchronous manner to the cylinder block, and a cylinder block bearing absorbing transverse forces.
2. Technical Considerations
An axial piston machine of the generic type has been disclosed by DE 100 55 753 A1, herein incorporated by reference. In this axial piston machine, the cylinder block has an “outer bearing arrangement”. In this machine, the cylinder block is mounted directly. For this purpose, a cylinder block bearing is arranged radially between the outer surface of the cylinder block and an inner surface of the surrounding housing. The axial piston machine of the generic type is of very short construction in the axial direction but requires a certain minimum diameter on account of the cylinder block bearing sitting on the cylinder block.
Axial piston machines having an “inner bearing arrangement” are also known. In this case, the cylinder block is mounted indirectly. The cylinder block is supported on a rotating driving shaft mounted on both sides in the housing. The rotationally rigid connection between the cylinder block and the driving shaft is affected by a shaft tooth system and a mating tooth system in a cylinder block neck integrally formed on the cylinder block. These tooth systems permit both axial mobility of the cylinder block and limited angular adjustability. As a result, the cylinder block can be adapted in its position to the valve plate. However, the conventional design with an indirect bearing arrangement is of relatively long construction in the axial direction.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an axial piston machine of the general type mentioned above but which has a simple construction and is axially as well as radially compact.